THE administrator controlling Liverpool’s tallest building the West Tower has paid council bosses £500,000 for a patch of “fresh air” – just two-thirds of the original price.

The West Tower’s original developer Beetham was unable to sell 60 apartments in the skyscraper because the building overhung a 36 sq m piece of public highway, meaning the Land Registry would not consider proposed deals.

Mapfield, one of the Beetham companies which controlled the 40-storey tower, agreed to buy the land from Liverpool council for £750,000 in 2008.

But the deal was never completed and Mapfield and West Tower Ltd went into administration in February last year – leaving the council chasing the money.

In April the ECHO revealed the tower was put up for sale by administrator Grant Thornton and a deal was agreed for the land overhung by the tower.

At the time both parties declined to reveal the value of the deal.

But in response to an ECHO request under the Freedom of Information Act, the council confirmed it had agreed a deal with Grant Thornton worth £500,000 plus surveyor’s fees and legal costs. The deal was agreed in November and was completed in March.

A council spokesman said: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the administrator and secured an equitable price for the council’s interest in the building.

“Most importantly we are happy that a potential solution was found to secure a sustainable future for this prominent city centre landmark.”

Grant Thornton declined to comment.

In 2005, it emerged Beetham had paid the council just £163,000 three years earlier for the land on which the West Tower was built next to the ECHO’s HQ.

Beetham originally said it was going to landscape the area, which sits in front of Beetham Tower, before it decided to develop it.

The council insisted the full market value for the land was received.

In April the tower was put up for sale with an asking price of £12.5m – down 60% from its original value of £30m.

Last week an agreement was made to sell it, though the buyer’s name was not released.